Kenny Trahan, director of the Saints Hall of Fame in Kenner, said Warren suffered a heart attack at his home.

Warren, a third-round draft pick out of Auburn in 1981, played in 189 games for the Saints and recorded 52 1/2 sacks, fourth-most in team history. His best season came in 1989, when he had 9 1/2 sacks.

Warren did not play in 1990 because he was suspended for drug use.

``I started to watch the first game of the season and couldn't stand it,'' Warren once said of his year away from the team. ``It was the middle of the year before I could even watch a game.''

Warren credited teammates, friends, coaches and especially Jim Finks, the team's late general manager, with providing emotional support during his fight against drug addiction.

Aside from the suspension, Warren missed just eight games in his career because of injury, all in 1993.

``He was a great player,'' Saints head coach Jim Haslett said Saturday. ``On the field, he always looked invincible.''

In addition to his drug abuse, Warren had to deal with serious illnesses that afflicted his children: One son battled leukemia, another kidney disease.

``I've always felt he's handled adversity on and off the field better than any player I've ever known,'' former Saints coach Jim Mora said following Warren's retirement, in 1994. ``Any one of the things he's had to deal with would do in a lot of people.''

Warren joined the Saints' coaching staff under Mora in 1995 but quit the staff in 1996, hoping to play again. That dream was cut short later that year by heart disease. Two years later, he had surgery to clear blocked arteries, and he didn't coach again.

Warren moved to Birmingham after his career ended, but he returned to New Orleans when he was inducted, along with Mora, into the Saints Hall of Fame.

whodatsaintsfan26

12-14-2002 11:59 PM

A Moment of Silence for a Fallen Saint

That is terrible to hear. Always a sad day when one of your own goes. Thanks for the memories Frank.

kevinn1972

12-15-2002 11:11 AM

A Moment of Silence for a Fallen Saint

A very sad day for the saints faithful. I recall when I was a kid watching games that Frank Warren always seemed to be getting his name called. If there was a play in the backfield, you could bet he was going to be involved. I used to love watching that defense play. God bless you Frank. May the gates open wide for you.